greenhouse/permaculture

[Jordan]

hey everyone.
I was wondering what the best method for growing produce in the winter would be. I have heard of adding a large glass section to your house and putting the plants in the sunlight, but could this also be done with a greenhouse. I am wondering all of this because I am thinking about the possabilities of continuing to live off of your own produce during the winter.
Thanks again.

Jordan

[wulf]

Winter tends to be the season where a lot my garden gets a chance to rest - I guess trying to live off it would give a different perspective!

Wulf

[Wombat]

One problem that you can run into, depending on how far north you are, is lack of photoperiod (day length) during the winter unless you go for supplementary lighting (expensive!)

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

you could build a poly tunnel to be a bit cheaper, I made one out of discarded plastic coat hangers, bamboo canes and old sunflower stalks earlier this year.

Hydroponics is what nev is talking about and the ammount of electricity needed is huge.

Where do you live Jordan, as it will make a difference to what you might be able to grow.

[jordan]

hey andy. I live in Ontario but im am thinking of the future when I would be living in northern ontario ( a lot colder ) Oh, and I was wondering what exactly you mean by a poly tunnel.

Thanks, Jordan

[wulf]

A polytunnel is a tunnel made out of a frame covered with heavy duty polythene. It creates a much more sheltered environment than leaving plants exposed to the elements while being much cheaper and more flexible than building a greenhouse (glasshouse).

I've used small ones in my garden (about 1' high) but people often use the term to refer to structures large enough to walk down!

Wulf

[Tigerhair]

You can live off your produce in winter - by storing the ones you grow in summer well... if you need ideas on how best to do this, this is the place to ask... if you let us know what you grow, we should be able to come up with a few ideas!

[Caspar_s]

Have a look at
Four-Season harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman
Amazon.ca

Talks about polytunnels, etc.

I'm also in Ontario and moving north - we've bought the land near Bancroft - just have to sort out the living arrangements.

[alcina]

I second the Four Season Gardening book by Coleman. He makes the comparison that most of the USA is at the same latitude or lower as Southern France - which has a tradition of winter growing. This means that there is enough light to grow food and all you have to do is to protect it from the cold as the US doesn't benefit from the Gulf Stream to keep it warm in the Winter. The purpose of having a lean-to greenhouse on the side of your house is that your house heats the greenhouse, if you have only a detatched greenhouse you'll be looking at heating it - which can be expensive.

In England we're considerably higher than the 44 degs North that Coleman talks about (here in London we're at 51.5 N - the same latitude as Calgary or Montréal) and therefore we don't get as much light but I personally believe it's still possible. England also benefits from the Gulf Stream warmth in the Winter, in Ontario you'll also be battling the cold. I was fully intending to try growing in a cold frame this Winter angled as much as possible to the South, but alas I got a new job and just couldn't muster the time or energy. Maybe next year.

I believe that this far North we're unlikely to be able to "grow" a new crop over the Winter, rather we'll be looking at extending the growing season a bit, and maybe keeping cut and come things alive. You have to start sowing in August I believe.

Forgot to mention that Coleman also goes into great length about food storage over the winter, with root cellars et al. Good book. Inspiring. You might also want to look at some of the Victorian Kitchen Gardening books - they didn't have the facility to add lights over the Winter, only heat, and yet they managed to grow food all year round this far North.

Alcina